Envelope and package opener



April 13, 1948. la 2,439,639

ENVELOPE AND PACKAGE OPENER Filed 001;. 9, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,439,639 Y ENVELOPE AND PACKAGE OPENER James 0. Tilly; Tulsa, Okla. Application October 9, 1944, Serial No. 557,9(V)5 My invention relates to an improvement in en- 1 Claim. (01. 309-294 that the guide will guide the knife for envelope opening and paper cutting. A further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which the knife is held in an advantageous position for cutting purposes and yet the knife is shielded so that there is no danger of one cutting himself whil using the device and also preventing accidental cutting when the device is not being used. A still further object is to provide adevice of the kind mentioned in which the handle portion becomes a protective element for the knife, also the handle element may be made as a replica of some object or merchandise to be employed as an advertising medium for the merchandise or services rendered by the advertiser. A still further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is simple, asy and cheap to manufacture and sell as well as being attractive for advertising purposes. These and other objects will be more fully described as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing an envelope in the process of being opened by the opener.

Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved letter and package opener and advertising device.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an opposite edge view of that shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top end view of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a bottom end view of the device as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the guide element.

Fig. 8 is an edge view of the guide element shown in Fi 7. 1

Fig. 9 is an opposite edge view from that shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a bottom end view of the guide shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is an edge view of the cutter element.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the cutter element.

Similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings is shown my improved envelope and package opener and advertising device as having a handle element I3 an edge view of which (see Fig. 3), gives the appearance of a 3 bottle on which advertising matter may be placed.

This design would be appropriate for use in advertising beer, pop or other bottled drinks. Obviously,.the handle l3, could be made to represent an automobile as an automobile advertisement, or a building for an advertisement of real estate service, etc. The handle is provided with a, projecting portion 13a that is provided with a longitudinal slot M for purposes that will later be explained. The portion I3b represents theneck of the bottle while the portion I30 represents the cap of the bottle.

The guide is made in'the form of a slender spear like element 15 which terminates in a flat sided point IS. The back edge of the blade as it progresses from point to the opposite end thereof evolves into a round rib like portion I! which merges into a tongue element [8 that is snugly fitted into the groove [4 of the handle element I3. The guide element being so mounted in the handle element l3, the neck portion I3b of the handle will swing away from the guide blade l5 so as to leave a V shaped opening X between the guide blade I5 and the handle portion B1) of the handle l3. The edge of the guide blade I5 is provided with a slotted seat formation [9 in which is seated a cutter blade 20. The sharp edge of the cutter blade 20 is positioned diagonally across the lower portion of the V shaped opening X so that the projecting sharp point of the blade 20 is also seated in the slotted seat IQ, of the guide blade I5. The several parts of the device having thus been assembled, rivets or screws 2| are passed through the projecting portion l3a of the handle l3 and the tongue element 18 of the guide IE to rigidly bind and hold the assembly together as shown and described.

The operation of the device is as follows: To open an envelope 22, the end of the envelope may be held between the thumb and first finger of th left hand, now the handle of the envelope opener may be held in the right hand, whereupon the point I6 of the guide blade l5 may be entered under the flap 23 of the envelope 22 and the envelope opener may then be advanced along the envelope and in so doing the edge of the cutter advanced until the cutter engages and cuts the string, thus the package may be opened.

Such modifications of my invention may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Now having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

In a letter and package opener device of the kind described; the combination of a one piece handle element of replica form, a guide blade and a knife, said guide blade having a tongue portion and an enlarged rib formation integrally formed on one edge thereof and merging into a long forwardly extending slender pointed blade to form the aforesaid guide blade, said handle element having a longitudinally positioned groove therein in which the tongue portion of the guide blade is seated in such a manner that a portion of the replica diverges from the guide blade to form a V-shaped opening between the replica and guide blade, said knife being in the form of a right angle triangle having an extremely long base and short altitude and the hypotenuseside of the triangle being the sharp edge of the knife, said guide blade having'a groove therein in which 4 one side of the triangle knife is seated with the sharp edge of the knife extending diagonally across the apex end of the said V-shaped opening and one corner of the triangle knife engaging the replica as a means of rigidly holding the knife in place, and means passing through both the replica and said tongue to rigidly hold the replica and guide blade in their relative fixed position. JAMES O. TILLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Steele Dec. 23, 1941 

